Method of trimming insoles.



E.L.KEYES. METHOD OF TRIMMING INSOLES.

I APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 25, 1913.

1,076,432. Patented 0013.21; 1913.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. L. KEYES.

METHOD OF TRIMMING INSOLES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1913.

fil WfA/fSS/z} I Patented 0013. 21, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

EUGENE L. KEYES, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF TRIMMING- INSOLES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EUGENE L. Knrns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Methods of Trimming Insoles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to the manufacture of boots and shoes and particularly to the operation of trimming the insoles thereof, and is a division of mypending application for patent on improvements in trimming machines, Serial No. 585,100, filed Oct. 3, 1910.

In the manufacture of certain types of shoes, such, for example, as Goodyear welt shoes, one of the first operations consists in placing the insole upon the bottom of a last and attaching it to the last by the use of several fasteners. These fasteners are driven at some distance inwardly from the edges of the insole, and the heel seat portion of the insole is usually attached to the last by a single fastener driven near its center. In order that the shoe may fit properly, it is important that the edges of the insole should conform to the edge contour of the tread face of the last and usually that they should lie flush wit-h the edges of the tread face, especially at the forepart and the heel. With this in view, it is the practice to cut the insole to fit the last accurately; but prior to its attachment to the last the insole is channeled and the channel lip or flap is turned back. The lip turning operation, and sometimes also the channeling operation, is performed while the insole is in a dampened or tempered condition, and the effect is usually to stretch the insole lengthwise, so that when it is fitted to the last accurately at the forepart it will nearly always project somewhat at the heel end. It is impracticable to allow for this stretching in cutting out the blank, since the effect varies greatly with different grades of stock and with different degrees of temper.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of trimming an insole attached to a last, whereby to conform the insole to the edge contour of the tread face Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

Divided and. this application filed June 25,

of the last, and preferably also to the dimensions, that is, the length and breadth, of the tread face of the last so that the edges of the insole may lie flush with the edges of the tread face, and to assure uniformity and accuracy in the trimming operation.

In one aspect, my novel method consists in raising a portion of the insole away from the last and trimming this portion as required while it is supported in raised position. In the case of the heel seat end of the insole, which will be the part usually operated upon in practising the method, the usual curved surface of the tread face of the last will provide normally some space between the tread face and the insole near the edges, so that but little if any actual raising of the insole will be necessary. In such a case this step of the method will consist substantially in supporting a portion of the insole in raised position away from the last during the trimming operation. This makes it possible to trim the edge of the insole in anymanner and by any means de sired, without restriction by reason of liability of engagement of the lateral or bottom surfaces of the last and the trimming means to the injury of one or both of these elements. Preferably the procedure will comprise inserting between the insole and the tread face of the last a device to raise a portion of the insole or support it in raised position away from the last. In trimming progressively around the edges of the insole different port-ions of the latter will preferably be raised or supported successively, and in the use of a device such as referred to above the method will include effecting relative movement of the last and the device in the performance of the trimming operation.

In furtherance of the procedure above set forth, one step of my improved method, as preferably practised, consists in positively gripping a portion of the insole to hold it in the required position while being trimmed. This serves to prevent turning or twisting movement of the insole with respect to the last, with the consequent uneven trimming which is likely to occur, particularly in the use of soft or spongy stock, and contributes also to the formation of a clean out without ragged edges. The insole will preferably be held from opposite sides under yielding pressure, so that in trimming progressively plained in the following detailed descrip-' ti'on,'with reference to the accompanying drawings in which is shown one form of machine by the aid of which the method may be practised. That machine is not claimed herein, since it forms the subjectmatter of my pending application of which this application is a division and to which reference has previously been made.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; and Fig. 3 is a cross-sec tional view showing the parts that position and hold the insole and protect the last and the cutter, as well as guide the last and insole during the trimming operation.

The column 2 supports a frame 4 having bearings for the reception of a shaft 6 which may be rotated by a beltrunning over the pulley 8 fast on the shaft. A rotary cutter 10 is secured to the forward end of the shaft. Mounted upon the column below the frame 4 is'a bracket 12 to the forward end of which "aguide carrying head 14 is pivoted so that it maybe swung in a vertical plane toward or away from the cutter 10. The head 14 is secured in its normal or operative position by a latch 16 pivoted thereon and arranged to slide behind the head of a bolt 18 that projects through an aperture in the head and is threaded into an upright portion of the bracket 12. The head 14 has inclined'guideways formed therein to receive a guide plate 20 that has a guiding face or shoulder 22 formed on its lower end and a lip 24L projecting slightly beyond said face along the inner edge of the guide, as best shown in Fig.3. It will be noted that the inner face of the guide'20 is very close to the end of the cutter 10 and that the guiding face 22 is close to the periphery of the cutter. The guide 20 may be adjusted radially of the cutter by means of'an adjusting screw 26 that extends through a portion of the head and is held against movement t-herethrough, but has threaded engagement with the guide. Obviously turning the screw 26 will cause the guide to be moved in the guid-eways of the head in a direction depending upon the direction in which the screw is turned. The guiding face 22 is designed to engage the sides or v lateral faces of the last to guide or position it radially of the cutter during the trimming operation, while the lip projecting between the tread face of the last andthe insole serves to position the last axially of the cutter and also to support the edge of the insole in raised position away from the last. Moreover, the lip guards the cutter from contact with the side or bottom of the last or with the metal anvil plate with which the heel end of a last usually is provided.

As above stated, a poor insole cut out of spongy stock tends to turn and twist with respect to the last and move out of the path of the cutter during the trimming operation. In order to prevent such movement and hold the insole firmly while being trimmed, a yielding presser member 28 is provided that bears against the outer face of the insole close to the periphery of the cutter and presses the insole against the face of the lip 24:. This presser member comprises a soleengaging part inclined slightly to the plane .of the lip to form a somewhat V-shaped space for the entrance of the insole edge, and a shank that is turned back sharply from said part and is mounted to slide in a guideway formed between adjacent faces of the head 14 and a plate 30 bolted thereto. Since the cutter is usually of frusto-conical shape for the purpose of giving a bevel to the edge of the insole, the guideway for the member '28 is inclined in a direction substantially parallel to the periphery of the cutter. The presser member 28 is urged toward the lip 24 by a spring 32 and a plunger 34, both working in a socket formed in the head 1 1,

the plunger bearing against the rear side of the presser member at a point adjacent to the cutter. The extent of the forward move ment of the presser member is limited and may be varied by an ad usting screw 36 threaded through a part of the member 28 that is turned at an angle to the shank of said member at the rear end of the guideway, the end of the adjusting screw bearing against the rearward face of the head 14.

While it is possible to trim insoles satisfactorily on a machine constructed as above described without the aid of other mechanism, I find that both time and skill on the part of the operator are saved'by providing the machine with a support for the last. Thissupport preferably comprises a bracket arm 88 secured to the column 2, and a block 40 having a cylindrical shank pivoted at 41 in the arm 38 and itself pivotally supporting a pin 42 to which an upright rod 14 is secured. This rod carries at its upper end a last supporting pin 52 held loosely in a socket formed in the rod 44- by another smaller pin 17, Fig. 1, extending therethrough' This mounting for the last supporting pin is such that the pin may wabble in its socket particularly in directions transverse to the rod 44. It will be clear that the rod 44 may have a universal movement about the two pivots 41 and 42 disposed at right angles to each other. For the purpose of limiting the movement of this rod about the axis of the pivot 42, an adjustable plate 21 is screwed onto the top of the arm 38 and a pin 19 is set through the pivot 42 in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2 so that when the rod 44 is rocked in one direction about the pivot, one end of the pin 19 strikes the plate 21, and when it is rocked in the opposite direction, the other end of the pin 19 strikes the bracketarm 38. The plate 21 is so positioned that it will be engaged by the block 40 when the latter is swung in one direction and a pin 13 is set into the block to engage the plate 21 and limit the pivotal movement of the block in the opposite direction. The pivots are so located with relation to the rod that the rod will normally assume the position in which it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In practising the method by the aid of this machine the workman slides a last having an insole attached thereto on the supporting pin 52, then swings the support 44 and last toward the cutter head, guiding the last with his hand so that the lip 24 will be inserted between the last bottom and the insole and the portion of theside of the last close to the tread face will bear against the shoulder 22. In positioning the last in this manner, the insole will slide in between the members 24 and 28, the latter member yielding to accommodate the edge of the insole and the former member serving to lift the insole slightly away from the bottom of the last, or to support the edge portion in its normal spaced relation to the curved tread face of the heel end of the last. In starting the trimming operation, the toe of the last usually is raised to bring one side of the heel seat first into contact with the cutter 10 and the last is then swung forwardly and downwardly to move the entire edge around the heel portion past the cutter. The loose mounting of the pin 52 and the pivoted support for the rod 44 permit the movements of the last necessary to trim all the part-s of the insole that project at the sides of the heel as well as at the heel end. During the trimming operation the spring 32 yields to compensate for variations in the thickness of the insole and maintains constantly a firm pressure on the insole close to the point of operation of the cutter and close to points opposite the mar gin of the tread face of the last.

It usually is preferable to trim the edge of the insole so that the trimmed edge will lie flush with the lateral faces of the last. Consequently, the guide 20 should be adjusted as shown in Fig. 3 so that the portion of the shoulder 22 that engages and guides the lateral faces of the last close to their junction with the tread face will lie in a lane extending parallel to the axis of the shaft and passing through the point where the trimming operation takes place. It will be noted that the guiding shoulder 22 is shaped to engage the last at the edge formed by the junction of the bottom and lateral faces of the last and it therefore guides the last along the line to which it is desired to have the trimmed edge conform.

It will be understood that my novel method is not limited to practice by means of the machine herein shown and described, nor by means of any particular machine or apparatus, but may be carried out in various ways other than that specifically set forth.

Having explained the nature of my invention and set forth fully how it may be practised, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States is:

l. The method of trimming an insole attached to a last which consists in raising a portion of the insole away from the last, and trimming the raised portion of the insole to the edge contour of the tread face of the last.

2. The method of trimming an insole attached to a last which consists in gripping and holding a portion of the insole in raised position away from the last, and trimming the raised portion of the insole while so held to the edge contour of the tread face of the last.

3. The method of trimming an insole attached to a last which consists in gripping a portion of the insole close to a point opposite the margin of the tread face of the lastand holding it in raised position away from the last, and trimming said portion of the insole while so held to the dimensions and the edge contour of the corresponding portion of the tread face of the last.

4. The method of trimming an insole attached to a last which consists in supporting a portion of the insole by contact with the side adjacent to the last to maintain it in raised position with respect to the last, bringing pressure to bear upon the opposite side of the insole to prevent movement of the insole with respect to the last, and trimming the raised portion of the insole to the edge contour of the tread face of the last.

5. The method of trimming an insole attached to a last which consists in raising successively different portions of the insole away from the last, and trimming said portions of the insole while so raised to the edge contour of the tread face of the last.

6. The method of trimming an insole attached to a last which consists in gripping successively difierent portions of the insole close to points opposite the margin of the tread face of the last and holding said portions away from the last, and trimming said por't-idns of theinsole while so held to the di-i mensions and the edge contour of the corresponding. portions of the: tread face of the last.

:7. The method of trimming the heel seat end of an insole attached to a last which consists in inserting a device between the insole and the tread face of the heel end of the-last to support/7a. portion of the insole in'raised position away from the last, and trimming the raised portion of the insole to the edge contourof the tread face of the heel end of the last;

18. The metnod of vtrimming the heelseat' end of an insole attached to a last which consists in inserting a device between the insoleand the tread face of the heel end of the last to support-a portion of the insole in raised: position awayfrom the last, rela: tivelymoving the last and said device to position the latter successively at difierent portions-ofthe heel seat, :and trimming the different'portions of the insole while so rai-sedto' the edge neontour of the tread face of the he'el end of the last.

9. The method of trimming theheel seat end of an insole attached to a last which consists ininserting a device between the inner side :of the insole and the tread face ofutheheel end of the last to supportapor: tion-of the insole in raised position away from the last, I bringing pressure;to bear upon the outer side .of'the insole. at a point opposite said device to hold the insole from movement with respect to the last,:,and trimming the raised-portion of the insole-to the edge contour" of the tread facevof the'aheel end of the last.

' 10. Themethod of trimmingan insole; at-

I tachedto a last which consistsin applying the edge contourofthe tread faceof the.

last.

7 11. The method, of trimming the heel seatend of an insoleattachedto-alast which consists in supporting a'aportion-of-the in- .sole in raisedrposit-ion' away from the last,

trimming the raisedportion of the:insole to the edge contour tor theltread face-ofi the heel end of the last, and protecting during the trimmingoperation the lateral and bot tomqsurfaces of thezlast adjacentxto thm raised portion ofthe insole.

In testimony whereofrI- havezsigned my 7 name to this specification in the. presence. of. two-subscribing witnesses.

EUGENE L.

Witnesses HOWARD )OJWINSLoW,

'WVILLIAMZBsKING.

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